The Syracuse Orange were considered fortunate to make the tournament after finishing the regular season with a 19-13 record.
After two 20-point wins no one doubts Syracuse’s credentials any longer and now the Orange will try to win the first game in which it’s an underdog, against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Gonzaga Bulldogs -4.5
Syracuse Orange +4.5
Over/Under 135.5
HOW THE SYRACUSE ORANGE CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Syracuse’s zone defense has befuddled opponents for years and the Orange did the same thing in their first two games of the tournament. Syracuse limited Dayton to 32.1 percent shooting and Middle Tennessee St to 29.7 percent shooting from the floor in easy victories that never saw it challenged.
The Orange have been buoyed by Tyler Roberson and his dominance of the glass in their first two games. Roberson grabbed 27 rebounds, nine offensive, in Syracuse’s first two games and can be unstoppable if he gets going and stays out of foul trouble. With Syracuse’s limited depth, his rebounding prowess is needed as the tournament wears on.
Michael Gbinije was the Orange’s leading scorer during the regular season and was the leader against MTSU. Gbinije is a true scorer who can hit shots from anywhere, as evidenced by his 10-14 shooting performance in the second round. He should be able to light it up against a porous Gonzaga defense.
HOW THE GONZAGA BULLDOGS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Domantas Sabonis and Kyle Wiltjer have been the stars for Gonzaga all season long and that was again the case when Gonzaga pounded Utah to make the Sweet Sixteen. Sabonis owned potential lottery pick Jakob Poeltl all game long. Poeltl was held to five points and four rebounds, while Sabonis dominated with a 19 point, 10 rebound performance.
Sabonis is the one player Gonzaga has who can compete with Roberson down low and how that match-up works out will help determine who wins this one.
Wiltjer was the Zags’ leading scorer all year and hit 70 percent of his shots against Utah in Gonzaga’s big victory. Wiltjer has a lot of hot and cold in his game, but can take over and will be the main person Syracuse has to stop. Don’t be surprised if the Orange rotate a little his way in order to stop his shooting.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Syracuse is 5-2 ATS in neutral site games on the season and covered both its games in the tournament with ease as one and six point favorites. Syracuse has now covered five of its last six and has been a very profitable team. Both tournament games for the Orange have fallen short of low totals, but Gonzaga can score better than either team Syracuse previously faced.
The Bulldogs may not have made the tournament if they didn’t win the West Coast Conference Tournament, but Gonzaga has been on fire since that point. Gonzaga has covered every game since and are now at seven consecutive covers. The over has been a solid bet as well for bettors recently with four of the Zags’ last five going over.
Gonzaga is on a tear and some are still doubting how good Syracuse is due to the strength of its first round opponents. Sabonis will be the key for the Zags because of his range and ability to stretch the floor.
The Orange will be in for a long night if he’s nailing shots away from the basket.
Gonzaga 71, Syracuse 65
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BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The game between the Syracuse Orange and the Gonzaga Bulldogs is scheduled for Friday, March 25, 2016 at 9:40 PM ET at United Center in Chicago. The game will be televised nationally on CBS.
